


Divenire

by Baramuscles



Series: Nuvole Bianche [2]
Category: The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild
Genre: Champions are all alive, Daruk has BIG DAD ENERGY, Happy Ending, Hurt/Comfort, Its a wedding fic ok, M/M, Maybe mild angst?, Post-Calamity Ganon, Revali still questioning religion, past trauma
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2021-01-06
Updated: 2021-01-06
Packaged: 2021-03-16 15:20:07
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,481
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28584126
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Baramuscles/pseuds/Baramuscles
Summary: Revali knew he was never the Goddess' favorite. But, for some reason she let him have a second chance.He struggled desperately to fight back the tears as they stood together, surrounded by so many people cheering for them. Looking into Link's beautiful blue eyes, Revali could for the second time in his life send Hylia a genuine thank you.
Relationships: Link/Revali (Legend of Zelda)
Series: Nuvole Bianche [2]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/2091126
Comments: 7
Kudos: 63





	Divenire

**Author's Note:**

> Finally fixing the emotional mess I left with Holy Smoke! This fic can stand on its own, but I recommend reading Holy Smoke first. 
> 
> Splitting this up into two chapters instead of one long beast like the last fic.

Revali did never consider himself a religious man. There has been a darkness festering in his heart towards the goddess for a long time now, one that hadn’t changed much after all these long years. She took so much from him and everyone around him, never seeming to care until it was convenient for her. He was always bitter about never knowing who his father was and only being able to remember murky images of the woman who gave birth to him.

The resentment only grew when he had met her fated hero. At first it had been over how weak her hero seemed, small and slight, and couldn’t even murmur a word to his fellow champions. Just some scrawny boy who had been shot to greatness because of some sacred sword and a Goddess’ blessing.

Despite all his problems with the Goddess, he couldn’t deny there had been one time when Revali had begged on his knees for Hylia to give him the chance he always wanted. He had prayed and pleaded for countless years, and for some reason he had finally gotten that wish.

Hylia and Revali were like oil and water, but today the Rito sent a silent thanks to the heavens. She had listened to him that final day on Vah Medoh it seemed, and brought him and his hero back together.

It was still dark outside,the sun about to rise in the west, and Link was stunning. He always was so beautiful to Revali, but today, in the early hours of the morning he was unearthly gorgeous. The blond’s intricately braided hair draped past his shoulders decorated with dark blue feathers, and the bangs that usually fell in his face were pinned back with the ornate Rito headdress Revali had made him and a delicate looking golden circlet.

Revali couldn’t help himself from bringing a hand up to rub along the Hylian’s cheek. The time his hands were steady, no trembling and fear shaking through him like they had so many times before. Blue eyes beamed brightly at him, and red lips curled into an even bigger smile. For over one hundred years he had loved this man, and being able to feel his skin under his feathers still made his heart soar. 

They were surrounded by so many people, but Revali couldn’t pay attention to anyone but the man in front of him.

* * *

Revali was never a religious man. He’s positive Hylia knew that when he had desperately prayed on top of Vah Medoh the day Link went for his final battle with the Calamity. He never asked of anything from the Goddess before and hated the idea of admitting she had part in his life, but that day he willingly groveled on his knees. Please, just keep Link alive.

He shot up from his bed, a crushing anxiety filling his lungs.

_Bloody, weak, those blue eyes fluttering to try and stay awake. Screaming, someone was screaming. Was that his voice? Did it matter? Link was choking on his own blood, clinging to the life Revali had begged for. Why hadn’t the Goddess listened to him?_

Revali could barely breath, frantically looking around for the hero. It took him a moment to realize he was tucked in a bed, in an incredibly blue room. Suddenly there were too many pairs of cold hands pushing him backagainst the bed, telling him to stop fighting. _Was he fighting?_ His green eyes snapped wide open, seeing three Zora’s standing over him seeming to say something frantically to each other. But Revali couldn’t hear anything, the blackness starting to take over him once again. _They live in water for Hylia’s sake, why does everything else have to be blue?_ The rito thought before feeling himself go still and everything went blank.

* * *

It had been three days since the they had finally defeated Ganon he was told. When Revali had woken up again he put up a hell of fight like last time, thrashing in his bed against the strong scaled hands of the Zora medics. He just needed to know where Link was, why couldn’t they understand that? But no one had any answers for him, just continuing to force him to lay down.

Revali was panting, chest heaving and almost out of strength when an unnecessarily large Zora approached his bedside. The medics immediately released him, although Revali felt too weak to sit up like he had been struggling to before.

The red Zora came up and gently put his hand on Revali’s chest, “It is okay, you are safe here.”

The Rito tried to struggle under the Zora’s palm, breathlessly whispering Link’s name. The huge man’s golden eyes lit up, and he smiled.

“Our dearest friend is safe as well, my sister is healing him as we speak.”

Before Revali’s mind could monologue about how ridiculous all of this was —especially how this fish was _not_ Link’s dearest friend— he had found himself slipping back into unconscious. This time the darkness wasn’t so frightening though. The stupid fish had said Link was still alive.

—

Revali had spent the next two days in that blue bed, slipping in and out of consciousness. On the third day, the medics had decided he was strong enough to pace around his room as long as he ate the broth they gave him.

The next day Revali found himself sitting in the one windowsill his room had, gazing out at the beautiful waterfall across the way. He heard his door open and turned to see that large red Zora from days before walking into his room.

“You said Link was okay, I need you to take me to him.” The Rito immediately demanded, standing quickly from his spot. A few black spots dotted his vision, but he shook them off. He needed to see in person that his hero was still alive.

The Zora smiled at him, tilting his head slightly, “Of course, that is why I have come for you!” He stepped forward hand extended towards the Rito, “He has just woken up.”

Revali gave him a guarded look, eyes narrowing at the large pale hand held out in front of him. He didn’t like the way those gold eyes lit up when he talked about Link. Instead of letting the Zora help him, the Rito slapped his hand away, “Just show me where you’re keeping him,” Revali said coldly. He always had a problem trusting people, and he supposes that trait wouldn’t have gone away after over one hundred years. Especially people so cheery and enthusiastic.

Sidon’s grin stuttered for a moment, before he tucked his hands behind his back, “my apologies, please allow me to guide you there.”

So disgustingly diplomatic.

* * *

Revali felt weak when they had finally made it to an ornate door, _still blue,_ and the red Zora opened it.

His legs felt like they were about to crumble underneath him, and he was so, so tired. But, when the other man moved out of the way and Revali walked into the room, the last thing he could think about was the exhaustion running through his bones. He could finally see the love of his life, _the most beautiful thing in all of the realms_.

Goddess, Link looked so tired, blue eyes half lidded and face flushed bright red against his pale skin. But he was still alive, _Link was still alive_. Everyone else in the room disappeared, no one mattered except the blond laying on that same stupidly styled monochrome blue bed Revali had woken up in.

When he saw those bleary sky colored eyes raise to look at him, he couldn’t help but run to his side and drop to his knees. He grabbed the Hylian’s hand holding it to his beak and a sob immediately wracked through his body.

Some of the haze seemed to leave Link’s eyes, and he struggled to try and sit himself up in bed to be closer to the Rito despite the clear pain flashing across his face.

Revali put a wing against his chest to settle him back into the bed, “Stop hurting yourself, I’m here you idiot.” The Rito choked, trying to sound teasing but it only came out in a cracked voice. It didn’t matter how pathetic he sounded though when he was able to see Link giving him that small, radiant smile again.

Link lifted a trembling hand to rest against the other side of Revali’s face, his shaking fingers digging into the soft blue feathers. The feeling of the warm Hylian’s palm against his face ripped another choked sob from Revali’s throat. He turned his face to burry it further in Link’s palm, unable to help the sobs that shook his body.

“You’re so fucking stupid, and I love you,” Revali choked out, voice trembling and gasping through the tears, “I love you, I love you, I love you you stupid boy.” His green eyes were blinded and hazy with the tears, barely able to make out Link’s face and the Hylian’s beautiful blue eyes.

Finally, after all the times they had spent in fear of what was to come, Revali could feel the warmth of Link's body. Somehow, they had found each other again.

Revali was never a religious man, but something came over him in that moment as he knelt by Link’s side. They had both lost so much to Hylia and the Calamity, but now at least one of them was gone. Revali gripped Link’s smaller hand tightly— it might have been too tight but neither of them cared. The Rito stared into those beautiful blue eyes, they were both alive, they had both made it. Before Revali could even doubt himself, he opened his beak to say the words he never got the chance to in their last life together;

“Please, marry me.”

The hylian let out a sob, and nodded furiously. He pushed himself up despite the loud cry of protest from everyone else in the room, and fell into Revali. Thin, pale arms reached to grip around the Rito, the blond’s hands painfully clutching at the feathers on Revali’s back. He felt Link burry his face in the crook of his neck, and he could only hold the blond tighter.

“I’m here Link, we made it.”

* * *

It was early in the morning, still dark before the sun would rise of Tabantha. The cold winds from the blew down from the Hebra mountains and swept through the roost, but there was fire roaring brightly in the center of the small home to keep the chill at bay.

Revali had been awake for hours, currently wearing his talons down with his pacing across the rough wooden floors. His mind had refused to shut up long enough to let him sleep. To say he was nervous might have been a dramatic understatement, how could he not be nervous right now.He looked over to Teba, the white rito sitting against the wall with his wings crossed and eyes closed. They both knew he wasn’t asleep, probably kept up by Revali’s anxious pacing.

Seeing the taller rito though made Revali stop for a moment.

There was always something about the darkness of the early hour morning that made him feel more vulnerable. Revali opened his beak, looking for the right words to say to his friend. _His friend._ When Revali had moved back home after being revived, there was an unspoken tension between him and Teba. The white rito was now the village’s star avian, his wings were strong, and his archery was almost as good as Revali’s. But not only was Teba a strong warrior, he had parents that loved him, a wife that scolded him for working too hard, and a child that constantly talked about being as great as his father. It hurt more than Revali initially imagined, seeing someone who filled his place in the village so well, yet hadn’t turned out to be a cold bastard like he was. _People really loved him_.

So, when Revali returned to Tabantha he threw his guard up again, only speaking to the white Rito in cutting words in a cool tone. Teba had called him _Master Revali,_ and looked at him like he was some childhood hero of his. The white rito had humbly asked Revali to teach him in the ways of his gale and archery, and Revali was quick to shut him down. It hurt to see someone so— so well adjusted, take his place of the strongest rito. When he was in Teba’s place he had pushed everyone away believing it would only make him stronger. He had been respected, revered even, but nobody really liked _him._ Even after he had been crowned as one of the Goddess’ champions, he was still held at arms distance from his tribe. Revali once had thought that was the price of greatness, being alone.

But now, Revali had grown to respect Teba, and even find him as one of his closest friends. It wasn’t easy getting over his insecurities that he isolated himself with, faults that Teba seemed to only make more apparent. Somehow though, he had gotten over himself and had agreed to train Teba under his wing. Revali is pretty sure if Link wasn’t so damn likable and friends with everyone, Teba wouldn’t have accepted Revali’s half apology in the form of agreeing to share the technique of his gale.

Teba did accept though, and now Revali was here in his family roost preparing himself for the moment he had dreamed about for over one hundred years, “Teba.”

The white rito opened his eyes a sliver, humming at the blue rito. Revali wanted to tell him never mind, and keep anxiously pacing, but the early morning was an interesting time of day where everyone felt a little less guarded.

“Thank you for—“ Revali felt the words catch in his throat looking at the taller man. He wasn’t good with articulating his feelings one hundred years ago, and that still hadn’t fully changed.

Teba smiled at him though, as if understanding what he meant. _Thank you for being my friend. Thank you for being here. Thank you for all of this._ But Revali needed Teba to understand his final thanks, and not just leave it to interpretation, “Thank you for allowing me in your home today.”

Teba looked a little surprised, “This is an important day, Revali. I am honored to be the one here with you now.”

“Yes, but—“ Revali trailed off, turning to stare at the warm fire. _He should have been in his family’s roost._ After years of practice it had become easy to ignore being abandoned— _unlovable—_ but now it was hard. Out of the corner of his eye he saw Teba stand from his seat and walk towards him.

“This is your family home now, and I am proud to have you in our home today.” The white rito told him softly, resting one of his wings on Revali’s shoulder. Maybe if his life had gone differently, it would be his father standing beside him giving words of encouragement. But Revali knew from so much experience that it never helped to dwell on the _what ifs_ his life could have been.

Revali stared into Teba’s brown eyes, bring his own wing up to grip the other rito’s shoulder, “You are a good man, Teba.”

The taller rito laughed, “As are you Revali.”

The moment was broken by someone knocking on the wood of Teba’s roost. Teba drew back from Revali, a knowing smile on his face. _What?_

“Come in,” Teba announced loudly.

The curtain to Teba’s roost was drawn back and Daruk entered, looking as strong and proud as ever. Revali knew he would be here for the wedding — hell, he had seen him the night before, the Goron drunkly proclaiming how proud he was of his two fellow champions finally getting married. But Revali he had no idea why Daruk was here now in the early morning, just minutes before they should all be at Revali’s Landing.

“Congratulations my boy,” Daruk boomed warmly, stepping further inside of the roost. Revali’s sharp eyes noticed the bundle in the Goron’s arms, wrapped in raw canvas and tied with a brown rope.

“What are you doing here at this hour?” Revali asked, looking at the Goron confused.

“We were all told to bring customary Rito gifts to the wedding so you and Link can shack up here together,” the large man explained.

“Well, yes we did ask for that.” The blue rito said slowly, still suspicious of the goron in Teba’s house. It was customary in the Rito tradition to bring gifts of building materials and and nest-warming gifts to the new couple. But, usually those gifts were brought to the couple’s plot where they would build their roost. Not given just over an hour before the ceremony, “You should have put it with the others.”

Daruk laughed loudly at that, “I heard that you would be missing something important though!”

The huge goron finally held out the crudely wrapped gift to Revali, an incredibly warm smile on his big face. _What was this about?_ Revali hesitantly took the package and his wings almost gave out under its weight. The package was way heavier than he expected.

“What is this?” Revali asked, turning to set the bundle on a table nearby, and toyed with one of the ends of the twine trying it all together.

“It’s a gift winged one!” Daruk told him excitedly. When Revali looked to catch Teba’s eye he noticed the white rito looking pleased. Revali didn’t like that, what did Teba know about this?

“Why not open it Revali?” Teba encouraged him softly.

This was all far more confusing than it needed to be. Why was Daruk here at this hour and not getting ready with his family for the wedding? Why did Teba seem happy that the goron had just barged into his roost to give Revali a gift that clearly was supposed to be gifted later. Nobody must have told Daruk that it was bad taste in the Rito tradition to give an early gift right before ceremony. The only gift that was ever accepted early was from the parents of the couple, the tools they had used to build their own roost. How tone deaf was Daruk to come here at this hour with his crudely wrapped gift—

_Oh._

“Don’t worry though, Yunobo and I still made you a large box of nails to put on your gift pile!” Daruk said looking somewhat bashful for the first time Revali had ever seen in his many years. The rito wanted to say something, anything, but all his words were stuck like a frog in his throat.

“Your friend over there helped me with the idea,” Daruk said rubbing the back of his head, motioning towards Teba, “you kids might not have your biological families anymore, but you still got us. We’re all so proud of you two.”

Revali would deny it to the day he died once again, but large tears slipped from his green eyes looking at the unwrapped gift. _It was tools_. The blue rito picked up a solid metal hammer, brushing his fingers gently over the cool metal. They weren’t worn and used like the ones his parents would have given him, instead looking brand new. Revali flipped the hammer around in his hands, noticing a small indented signature near the handle. He recognized it, and his chest heaved just a bit. Daruk had made these himself.

Revali never expected to get such a gift. He knew this tradition would never be in his cards when they had planned the wedding. For Hylia’s sake, he couldn’t even remember what color his father’s wings were. Whoever his mother and father were were never going to be there.

His parents were always a darkness that Revali carried in his heart, growing up wondering for so long if there was any way he could have been better so they would’ve never left him. He had spent so long proving himself that he was worth more than being abandoned on those cold Tabantha mountains.

Revali looked up to meet the warm Goron’s eyes, trying to form words to say how much this meant to him. He tried opening his beak, but Daruk just came rushing in, dragging the blue rito into one of the tightest hugs of his life. _Goddess, this was so sappy_ , Revali thought to himself, but he moved his wings up to hug Daruk regardless.

“Thank you.”

After a moment the two broke away from each other, and Revali felt so much lighter now.

“Ok Daruk, I have to get this rito dressed for the occasion.” Teba said, almost playfully, but it was Teba after all.

**Author's Note:**

> Okidokie Artichokies! I'll probably post the second chapter to this sometime this week, its written just needs some heavy editing. Who knows, maybe now that I've decided to break this down into chapters I might even write a little more for a third chapter for maximum feelings. 
> 
> I put way too much effort into making up the different species' wedding traditions, some of which won't even make it into this fic :,( 
> 
> Same as last time, this was only proofread by me, so please point out any errors! But I’ll shamelessly add, I have at least 2 other works I’m writing right now, if anyone would be interested in helping me proofread fics (or even just talk about Revalink headcannons) I have this rusty old Tumblr https://baramuscles.tumblr.com
> 
> Okay, thanks guys! Happy 2021, stay cool my friends!


End file.
